“Post and pray” no longer works in the Finnish-Swedish recruitment business
We’re excited to share that Savon Yrittäjät, the Finnish Business Association, has published an insightful article about Harry Rubino, CEO of Rubino Rekrytering AB. This article highlights his extensive experience in recruiting for Finnish companies expanding into Sweden. We’re now publishing the English version on our website, offering a unique perspective on Rubino’s work and the evolving landscape of direct search in recruitment.
Harry Rubino, the owner of Stockholm-based HR company Rubino Rekrytering AB, has a long experience in cooperation with Finnish companies. This experience has given him a solid foundation in Finnish-Swedish recruitment, bridging the gap between cultures and understanding each market’s needs. How do Swedes see Finns as partners, and what kind of skills are now required in the Swedish labor market?
Harry Rubino’s personnel service company has helped many Finnish companies to recruit personnel for the companies’ Swedish operations. Rubino has a clear understanding of Finnish companies as customers, and his insight into Finnish-Swedish recruitment has proven invaluable in matching the right candidates with companies looking to expand across borders.
– Finns are easy partners. Our cultures blend well and Finns are always well prepared. Finnish companies have tough and practical goals for cooperation.
The last few years have been challenging in Sweden as well, but Finnish companies are still interested in the neighboring country’s market.
– Sweden is a big market and a natural first market area for Finland. We have a common culture, climate, ways of doing business and consistent rules of the game, describes Rubino. However, the personnel service industry has changed significantly. -When I started my company, an advertisement in a newspaper was enough for a direct search. I describe that time as the “Post and pray” period – apply and wait with folded hands for job applications, laughs Rubino. Now, in order to find the right candidates, you must have a comprehensive network, well-proven operating methods and know-how related to direct searches.
Rubino’s company is focused on expert searches. Is it now easier or more difficult to find people of that level for work?
– If the company has a clear profile of the person being applied for, this is of course easier. But today it is more challenging to get real candidates interested in a company that may not be well-known on the market or is just establishing itself in Sweden. On the other hand, we know the requirements of the market and companies, so we can tackle this challenge.
The company has made recruitments in Northern Sweden, e.g. For Ensto, Meka Pro and KKM. In the north, large green transition investments are underway. The availability of labor is a challenge in the counties of Norrbotten and Västerbotten, and there is a need for both expert-level and executive-level employees. He urges Finnish companies applying for construction sites in northern Sweden to familiarize themselves with Swedish standards and regulations. English is a common working language in Stockholm, Gothenburg and Malmö, but outside the big cities, knowledge of Swedish is valued. Finnish companies are also helped by the ability to adapt to Swedish work culture and a self-directed way of working, he concludes.
Fact: Rubino Rekrytering AB – Harry Rubino
- Italian-Swedish company founder, in the personnel field since 1999
- Previous work experience in sales management in the automotive and financial sectors
- Hobbies include golf, padel and Södertälje Sportklubb SSK ice hockey club
- HR and personnel services company, 5 employees, recruitment mainly for sales, marketing and administration, logistics and operational management tasks
Read the Finnish article here
